9 CFR 310.2 - Identification of carcass with certain severed parts thereof and with animal from which derived.

§ 310.2 Identification of carcass with certain severed parts thereof and with animal from which derived.

(a) The head, tail, tongue, thymus gland, and all viscera of each slaughtered animal, and all blood and other parts of such animal to be used in the preparation of meat food products or medical products, shall be handled in such a manner as to identify them with the rest of the carcass and as being derived from the particular animal involved, until the post-mortem examination of the carcass and parts thereof has been completed. Such handling shall include the retention of ear tags, backtags, implants, and other identifying devices affixed to the animal, in such a way to relate them to the carcass until the post-mortem examination has been completed.

(i) Be removed from the hide of the animal by an establishment employee and placed in a clear plastic bag. The bag containing the tag shall be affixed to the corresponding carcass.

(ii) The bag containing the tag shall be removed from the carcass by an establishment employee and presented with the viscera to the Program inspector at the point where such inspector conducts the viscera inspection.

(2)

(i) Brucellosis and tuberculosis ear tags, herd identification ear tags, sales tags, ear bangles, and similar identification devices shall be removed from the animal's hide or ear by an establishment employee and shall be placed in a clear plastic bag and affixed to the corresponding carcass.

(ii) The bag containing the tag shall be removed from the carcass by an establishment employee and presented with the viscera to the Program inspector at the point where such inspector conducts the viscera inspection.

(3) In cases where both types of devices described in paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section are present on the same animal, both types may be placed in the same plastic bag or in two separate bags.

(4) The circuit supervisor may allow the use of any alternate method proposed by the operator of an official establishment for handling the type of devices described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section if such alternate method would provide a ready means of identifying a specific carcass with the corresponding devices by a Program inspector during the post-mortem inspection.

(5) Disposition and use of identifying devices.

(i) The official State-Federal Department backtags will be collected by a Program inspector and used to obtain traceback information necessary for proper disposition of the animal or carcass and otherwise handled according to instructions issued to the inspectors.

(ii) The devices described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section shall be collected by the Program inspector when required to obtain traceback information necessary for proper disposition of the animal or carcass and for controlling the slaughter of reactor animals. Devices not collected for these purposes shall be discarded after the post-mortem examination is complete.

(6) Plastic bags used by the establishment for collecting identifying devices will be furnished by the Department.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Federal meat inspection regulations to establish a new inspection system for market hog slaughter establishments that has been demonstrated to provide public health protection at least equivalent to the existing inspection system. Market hog slaughter establishments that do not choose to operate under the new swine inspection system may continue to operate under their existing inspection system. The Agency is also proposing several changes to the regulations that would affect all establishments that slaughter any swine, regardless of the inspection system under which they operate or the age, size, or class of swine. These proposed changes would allow all swine slaughter establishments to develop sampling plans that are more tailored to their specific operations, and thus be more effective in monitoring their specific process control. These proposed changes also would ensure that before the start of slaughter operations, food-contact surfaces are sanitary and free of enteric pathogens.

On June 29, 2014, FSIS will discontinue Salmonella sampling set procedures (“HC01”) in ground beef products, except in establishments with results that exceeded the standard for Salmonella in that establishment's most recently completed set ( i.e., in those establishments in Category 3). At the same time, FSIS will begin analyzing for Salmonella all raw beef samples it collects for STEC analysis and will increase the raw ground beef sample portion for Salmonella analysis from 25 grams to 325 grams.

9 CFR Part 310

Summary

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responding to comments on an August 28, 2013, Federal Register document, “Changes to Salmonella Verification Sampling Program: Analysis of Raw Beef for Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Salmonella” and announcing its plans to begin analyzing for Salmonella all beef product it analyzes for Shiga toxin- producing Escherichia coli (STEC). After reviewing the comments received on the August 2013 document, FSIS is affirming the plans for addressing Salmonella in raw beef products that it announced in that document and will proceed with implementing those plans.

Submit comments on or before September 27, 2013. Interested parties need to get their comments in on time because the Agency does not intend to grant any extensions of the comment period.

9 CFR Part 310

Summary

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing changes to its procedures for Salmonella verification sampling program of raw beef products. On the date that FSIS will announce in the Federal Register document that responds to any comments on this document, FSIS will discontinue Salmonella sampling set procedures (“HC01”) in ground beef products, except in establishments with results that exceeded the standard for Salmonella in that establishment's most recently completed sample set (i.e., in those establishments in Category 3). At the same time, FSIS will begin analyzing for Salmonella all raw beef samples that it collects for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) analysis. Therefore, FSIS will begin analyzing for Salmonella all samples of raw ground beef, beef manufacturing trimmings, bench trim, and other raw ground beef components that it collects for STEC testing. To be consistent with the Agency's STEC analytic sample portions, FSIS laboratories will increase the raw ground beef analytic sample portion for Salmonella analysis from 25 grams to 325 grams. This notice describes how FSIS intends to use the results from its verification sampling program to develop new Salmonella performance standards for ground beef product and to estimate Salmonella prevalence in raw ground beef and beef manufacturing trimmings products. Finally, this document discusses changes that the Agency is considering related to FSIS Salmonella sampling and testing of other products.